


The Right One

by JoMouse



Series: Sterek Week 2019 [3]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, College Student Stiles Stilinski, Don't copy to another site, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Sterek Week 2019, Surprises, sterekoutdoors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2021-01-04 17:48:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21201632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoMouse/pseuds/JoMouse
Summary: It's the last weekend before final exams and Stiles just wants to spend it sleeping, Derek has other plans.





	The Right One

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings and salutations!
> 
> It's Day 3 of [Sterek Week 2019](http://sterekweek2019.tumblr.com). Today's theme is Outdoors.
> 
> I started off with this whole thing planned out and these dumb boys decided they knew better so it ended up being what it is!
> 
> Big thanks to [Marie](http://quietzap.tumblr.com) for the beta and to Jenn for the cheerleading.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this! Be sure to let me know if you do!
> 
> xx-Joey
> 
> P.S. Sorry for the short note - still trying to finish Days 5 and 6.
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.
> 
> I do not give permission for this work or any of my works to be posted in full or part on any other websites (ie Good Reads). Saying that, I don't mind you sharing links on twitter and/or tumblr and would love if you let me know if you do!!!

Stiles leaned back in the seat as the Camaro sped down the road, Derek sitting quietly next to him. It'd been a long week at school and he'd been ready to climb into his bed and sleep away the last weekend before his final exams started. Instead, he'd gotten back to his apartment to find Derek leaning against the hood of his car in the parking lot, Stiles' duffel bag packed and sitting on the ground next to him. "Get in, loser, we're going camping."

"I never should have shown you that damn movie," Stiles muttered.

" _ Laura  _ showed me that movie," Derek corrected, picking up the bag with one arm and pulling Stiles into his arms with the other, pressing a kiss to his forehead when Stiles collapsed against him with a moan.

"I don't want to go camping," he complained. "I want to crawl into bed and sleep for the entire weekend except for food."

Derek guided him to the passenger side. "I know. You told me your plans for the weekend and you can still do all of that, except you'll do it with me in the great outdoors."

Stiles grumbled as he was buckled into his seat like a child, Derek walking around the back of the car to throw the duffel in the trunk before coming around and climbing into the driver's side. Starting the car, he pulled out of the parking lot and turned toward the expressway. "The pack meeting us there?" Stiles asked, his body and mind rebelling against the idea of trying to keep up with a pack of wolves for the entire weekend.

"Nope," Derek replied with a grin, reaching out and pulling Stiles' hand out of his lap and twisting their fingers together. "Just you and me."

"Really?" Stiles was suspicious; he couldn't remember the last time he had more than a couple of hours alone with his boyfriend without being interrupted by some emergency or another, whether it be natural or supernatural. "They'll end up finding us. Can't go anywhere on the preserve without tripping over someone."

"That's why we aren't going to the preserve," Derek told him as he got on the expressway going in the opposite direction of Beacon Hills and Stiles felt himself getting excited. Derek's nostrils flared and his smile grew wider and smugger.

"Don't look so proud of yourself," Stiles huffed, chewing his lower lip to keep his smile hidden. "I'll probably end up falling down a cliff and injuring myself before the weekend's over.

"I packed bubble wrap," Derek teased. "Now, rest up. We've got a couple of hours."

"I'm not tired," Stiles snapped, a jaw-cracking yawn ratting him out. "Fuck you," he muttered when Derek laughed and squeezed his hand. Stiles tried to stay awake, but the soft jazz music coming from the radio and the vibrations of the seat beneath him as they flew down the expressway, Derek seamlessly switching gears and lanes soon lulled him into a deep sleep. 

The car door slamming woke Stiles and he sat up so quickly, his head spun for a minute, sparkles appearing in his field of vision. Looking around all he saw were trees and if he hadn't seen the direction Derek had gone before he'd fallen asleep, he'd swear they were in the preserve. Getting out of the car, he met Derek by the trunk where he pulled out a massive backpack, two sleeping bags and Stiles' duffel before slamming the trunk closed.

"Where's the cooler?" Stiles asked and Derek quirked an eyebrow and grinned. "No way. When you said we're going camping, you mean like that adventure shit you did last summer in Yellowstone, didn't you?" Derek shrugged, a secretive smile twisted his lips.

"You really want me to die," Stiles said. "This is it. I've finally driven you to want to get rid of me and you've brought me out into the woods in the middle of nowhere far from the pack so that no one will find my body." He was rambling and Derek paused, eyebrows drawn together in concern as he pulled Stiles into his arms.

"Relax," he whispered. "Deep breaths. Just trust me."

Stiles choked out a laugh but his heart rate was slowing and he leaned into Derek some more. "That's just what someone would say that wanted to lead me to my death."

Derek shook his head and pulled away, grabbing the backpack, he attached one of the sleeping bags to the top before hoisting it onto his back. He attached the other sleeping bag to Stiles' duffel and handed it over. "It's not a very long walk, but if the duffel gets awkward to carry, let me know."

Stiles watched Derek start on a trail into the woods, looking back at the car debating climbing back in and refusing to leave until Derek drove him back to Beacon Hills. Then he thought about having the entire pack descending on him as they always did on weekends and decided risking death by werewolf was worth getting a break from being constantly on the move. As Derek turned back to look at Stiles, a tentative smile on his face, he realized that spending time  _ alone _ with Derek was worth anything he could trade.

He let out a laugh. "Here goes nothing," he said, hurrying to catch up to Derek and falling into step behind him.

They walked in silence, Derek holding branches out of the way and warning Stiles about roots and rocks in the trail. The trail widened a bit after awhile and they were able to walk side by side, their hands tangled together between them. It was spring and the leaves on the trees were bright green and smelled fresh and loamy. He stopped to point out a couple of flowers, laughing when Derek pulled him back from touching a bit of poison sumac because he'd lost his head for a minute wanting to touch the fuzzy flowers.

At one point, Derek stopped Stiles with a hand on his arm, a finger held to his lips. Stiles' eyes widened and he followed Derek's arm as he pointed further along the trail. There was nothing there at first and then a doe stepped into the path, head low as she searched the ground for food. She stood tall and looked behind her for a moment, a soft sound leaving her mouth and two small fawns, backs still speckled with white tumbled onto the path after her. Stiles bit back a coo, when Derek narrowed his eyes at him. 

Digging into his pocket as quietly as he could, Stiles pulled out his phone and snapped a couple of pictures, thankful he'd put the phone on silent in his last class and had forgotten to turn the sound on again when it was over. The deer stayed on the path for a long time before the mother's head shot up and she looked right at them and bound off into the forest, the babies following at a slower but no less frantic pace.

"That was amazing," Stiles breathed out once he was sure the animals were out of earshot. "Not dinner, though? No fresh venison for the table tonight?"

"Shut up," Derek said, reaching for Stiles' hand and pulling him along behind him on the narrow trail. It was only another couple hundred yards when the trail widened and they could walk side by side. 

The sun started going down, the shadows of the trees growing longer and making things more difficult for Stiles to see, but he was comforted by the glow of Derek's eyes as they continued and the path widened even more. It wasn't long after that, when there was almost no light left in the sky that Stiles smelt smoke. "Something's burning," Stiles said, as if Derek wouldn't have sensed that five hundred yards back.

Derek stopped, releasing Stiles hand and moving around behind him, placing both hands over his eyes. Stiles started to protest, but Derek's breath against his ear as he whispered, "Trust me," froze the words in his throat.

Moving carefully, allowing Derek to guide them, Stiles leaned back into him until Derek stopped and dropped his hands. Stiles blinked a couple of times against the sudden light filling the clearing where they were standing. An A-frame cabin stood in front of them, a majority of the front wall was glass allowing an unencumbered view of the cozily-decorated interior. Solar lights lined a path from where they stood to the stairs leading up to the building, soft music was playing from somewhere and when Stiles' inhaled deeply he could smell food.

"What happened to roughing it?" Stiles asked as he turned to Derek, the smug look on his face so soft that he couldn't help pressing a kiss to Derek's lips.

"You were the one who assumed," he responded, tangling his fingers with Stiles' and leading him down the lighted path toward the cabin. "You know what they say about assuming."

"The only ass here is you," Stiles muttered lowly but suspected Derek had heard him, especially judging by the grin on his face. 

Stiles pulled to stop, falling forward slightly when Derek continued a couple of steps, staring around the deck surrounding three sides of the cabin. A deep fire pit sat in the center surrounded by cushions and blankets. An ice bucket and a small table sat to one side of the nest and the fire was already burning brightly. "Has this been burning since before you picked me up?"

"Of course not," Derek said. "The pack knew when we entered their territory and came to finish setting up and then..." He paused before raising his voice and continuing with, "Made themselves scarce!" 

Stiles burst out laughing when a couple sets of glowing eyes appeared in the trees surrounding the clearing and childish giggles were heard before the lights disappeared and the sound of foliage being disturbed reached his ear. "They are as curious as our pack."

"More so," Derek muttered. "They were good friends with my mother. Allies in some of the worst battles. Laura and I stayed with them for a few weeks after the fire."

"I'd like to meet them one day," Stiles said, imagining this pack taking in two teenagers who had lost everything without question. The thought of Derek calling this territory home, even just for a few weeks made it even more welcoming to him.

"Are you hungry?" Stiles nodded and his stomach growled to drive the point home. "Ellen and her daughter, Jo, insisted on providing us with food."

"Excellent," Stiles said, rubbing his hands together and heading for the door of the cabin.

While Derek got dinner together and on a tray to take out to the nest after asking if Stiles wanted to eat inside or out, Stiles explored the cabin. There were a few bedrooms separated from the open wall at the front of the cabin and Stiles dropped his duffel in there before changing into the pajamas that Derek had packed for him. He peeked into the bathroom, poking in the cabinets before moving toward the stairs and heading up to the loft above where a California King bed took up a majority of the space, adorned with a black and silver satin comforter that reflected the twinkling lights that lined the skylight above it.

Derek came up behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist. "This place is gorgeous," he said, leaning back into Derek, relaxing completely for the first time in weeks. "I wish we could stay forever."

"We can build something like it back home," Derek suggested. "Maybe add a hot tub."

"Oooh," Stiles groaned. "That sounds heavenly right about now. My legs are killing me from all the hiking."

"Let's eat first and then maybe you can sweet talk me into a massage," Derek teased, grabbing Stiles around the middle and lifting him into his arms in a bridal carry. He made his way down the stairs quickly, Stiles wrapping his arms around Derek's neck and leaning into his neck with a heavy sigh. "Aren't you supposed to carry me to bed like this? Not away from it?"

"Later," Derek told him. "For now, I just don't want your legs to hurt any more."

"Sappywolf," Stiles sighed as he was placed in the nest of cushions and blankets, covered in the softest one he'd ever felt, rubbing it against his cheek before turning to Derek with a sigh.

Derek's smile was soft as he reached over to the low table and grabbed a plate off the top, the aroma of spicy food reaching Stiles' nose and making him moan in anticipation of the burst of flavor. He reached for the plate, but Derek held it away as he grabbed one of the fried raviolis off of it, dipping it in marinara sauce. He held it out to Stiles, keeping his other hand beneath in case of any sauce drips, encouraging Stiles to take a bite. 

The ravioli was crunchy and the heat of the cheese was just the right side of too hot, the taste of oregano a perfect accent as he moaned again around the food. "Can we hire Ellen and Jo to cook for us forever?" 

"Again with the forever," Derek teased, as he held it out for Stiles to take another bite. "I'll get the recipe from them."

"Perfect," Stiles said, finishing the ravioli in a couple more bites before encouraging Derek to eat as well. "You need to eat, too."

Derek popped an entire ravioli into his mouth, grinning around it before offering another one to Stiles. Swallowing, he pressed a kiss to Stiles' head and reached for another plate smelling strongly of oregano, holding it out to Stiles. "I could try feeding this to you, but I have a feeling that might be even messier than letting you do it yourself."

Laughter bubbled up in Stiles, his entire body feeling warm inside and out from the atmosphere and the food. He sniffed at the plate, smiling as he picked up the fork and poked at the food. "What is this?"

"Parmesan chicken stuffed spaghetti squash," he read off of a piece of paper on the table. "I told them to keep it simple. I think they misunderstood."

"The food is delicious, Derek," Stiles assured him. "And even better because it was made special for us."

Derek nodded and reached for his own plate, settling back against a large cushion and pulled Stiles up to lean against him. "I just wanted you to have a perfect weekend. I know you won't take very good care of yourself next week during finals."

"Come stay with me for the week and take care of me, then," Stiles said offhandedly as he scooped another bite of spaghetti squash into his mouth. "I never thought a vegetable would be as good as pasta. I'm going to have to make this for my dad sometime." He looked up to see Derek gaping at him, a forkful of food frozen halfway to his mouth. "What?"

"You want me to stay with you? At school?" Derek asked. "Won't your roommate have a problem with that?"

"Dude, my roommate hasn't set foot in our room more than three times all semester. He won't even notice and why wouldn't I want you to come stay with me?" Stiles leaned over Derek to set the plate down on the table before shifting around so that he could face the wolf. "I miss you when I'm at school. It takes everything in me not to get in my Jeep at the end of every day and drive back to Beacon Hills, hide in your house and never leave."

Derek swallowed, setting the fork down and setting the plate next to Stiles. "I've driven out to your campus five times in the past month," he admitted. "And that's only the times I made it all the way there without talking myself out of dropping in on you."

"What? You're kidding!" Stiles poked him in the chest. "You were on campus and you didn't come to see me?"

The tips of Derek's ears turned pink as he ducked his head. "I didn't want to disturb you. I wanted you to have a real college experience."

"Dude!" Stiles shouted, throwing his hands in the air. "I  _ always _ want to see you and you never disturb me. If I could keep you in my dorm room all the time, I would." It was his turn to warm as he admitted the next part. "I even looked into married student housing to figure out if it was cheaper than renting an apartment near campus." He looked up at Derek's shocked face again. "It's not, by the way. Unless we're both students, then there is a bit more discount."

"Let's do it," Derek said.

"Do it?" Stiles wiggled his eyebrows. "Right here? Out in the great outdoors?"

"No, you idiot," Derek said laughing before turning thoughtful. "Well, yes, but that's not what I meant right now. I meant, let's get married and I'll enroll in school. I've been wanting to go back to finish my degree for a while now."

"You can do that without marrying me. You don't need to trap yourself in something-"

Derek shook his head, cutting Stiles off, and reached into the ice bucket to pull out a bottle of champagne that Stiles hadn't noticed and then grabbed two champagne flutes from next to the table, filling each one with his back to Stiles before turning around and offering one to Stiles. 

He took it, tapping the glasses together before lifting the flute to his lips, eyes meeting Derek's over the rim. The green eyes glowed with curiosity as they dropped to Stiles' glass. Following his gaze, Stiles spluttered, champagne drooling down his chin as he ran a finger into the flute and retrieved the item from the bottom that had caught his attention. A simple gold band, engraved with a diamond crusted triskelion.

"Is this...?" Derek nodded. "And you had this whole thing planned?" Another nod. "And you really want to marry me?" Stiles' heart was beating so hard he was surprised Derek wasn't tapping his feet along to the beat. He couldn't believe this was happening; it wasn't that he hadn't imagined marrying Derek it's just that he'd never imagined Derek wanting to marry him. He was just Stiles, other than his Spark which got him in trouble more often than not, he wasn't anything special. He wasn't a wolf or a kitsune (thank God for that one at this point) or any of the other supernaturals that made up their pack.

He loved Derek. Knew that Derek loved him, but he always thought at the back of his mind that he would grow tired of him and leave for someone more badass like Braeden or another werewolf. He kept staring at the ring in this hand, otherwise he would have missed the way Derek reached for it, fingers wrapping around it, making it disappearing into his large hand. Stiles reached out to stop him, dropping the champagne flute, thankful for the blankets that kept it from breaking.

"You're taking it back?" Stiles asked, blinking rapidly to stop the tears that sprung to his eyes and the heartbreak that filled his throat.

"You don't want it," Derek said.

"Of course I want it!" Stiles said, grabbing for it, trying to wrestle Derek's hand open. "Why wouldn't I want it?"

"You're panicking," Derek said. "You're frightened of the thought of marrying me."

"No," he shouted, waving his arms. Watching Derek's face fall even further into a frown so deep that made his normal grumpy cat expression look like ecstasy, he realized what his reply had sounded like, but before he could clear things up, Derek was up and out of the nest. Before Stiles got to his feet, Derek leapt off the deck shifting midair, clothes falling in tatters to the ground as he disappeared into the trees. "Fuck."

Stiles stepped to the edge of the deck, debating chasing after Derek, but knowing he'd be lost before he got more than a hundred yards. He wasn't sure if Derek would come back for him if he fell and got hurt. Shoulders slumping, he cleaned up the plates from dinner and went into the kitchen. He found some glass containers to store the leftovers in and put them in the refrigerator before going back out to the nest. 

Once outside, he debated heading inside and going to bed; maybe things would be better in the morning. He honestly hoped he'd fallen and knocked himself out during the hike and this was all a bad dream. Instead, he determined to wait for Derek to come back, if he came back. Adding some wood to the fire, he grabbed the champagne bottle and settled back into the nest. He kept his eyes on the treeline as he drank from the bottle.

He must have dozed off because he jerked awake when the world shifted underneath him. Blinking away slumber, he found himself looking at Derek's profile, face still set in a stony expression and if he was right by the feel of chest hair against his arm, the wolf was still naked. "Are you taking me to bed?" he asked as they entered the cabin. 

"Yes," Derek said before climbing the stairs and crossing to the bed, unceremoniously dumping Stiles on top and turning away to head back to the stairs, revealing that he was definitely still naked as Stiles got distracted by the sight of his perfect ass.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"To sleep on the couch," Derek responded, stopping at the top of the stairs, hand wrapped so tightly around the handrail the wood creaked. "We'll leave in the morning, unless you would like me to have someone from the pack come get you on Sunday."

"What? No!" Stiles shouted, scrambling off the bed and crossing the room to grab at Derek but he started down the stairs and Stiles grabbed thin air, pitching forward over the top step. His scream cut off as Derek caught him and shielded his body as they tumbled down the rest of the stairs. 

"Ouch," Derek said as he laid flat out on the floor, Stiles still curled up against his chest, sore but without serious injury. 

"Are you alright?" Stiles asked, sitting up carefully and wincing when Derek hissed, curling into a seated position and holding a hand against his right shoulder.

"Nothing I can't handle," he growled out. "Now, please get off of me."

"No," Stiles said, crossing his arms and moving until he was straddling Derek's waist. "If you want me off, you'll have to remove me yourself." He hoped Derek would push him and breathed out a sigh of relief when Derek grunted and jerked his chin towards his shoulder.

"It's dislocated," he muttered.

"Can I help?" Stiles offered reaching out to touch and jerking backwards when Derek flinched. "I helped Scott once after he'd first turned and Jackson on the lacrosse pitch once."

Derek nodded and after a little bit of maneuvering they were able to jerk Derek's shoulder back into place with only a low growl from Derek as Stile patted over the rest of him, feeling for broken bones and looking for bruised skin. "You'll live."

"I know I will," he said, but remained seated in front of Stiles, his back to him. Stiles took the opportunity to press his forehead to the center of his back, pressing a kiss to the middle of Derek's tattoo. "Shh, relax," he whispered.

"You should go back to bed," Derek said, but his shoulders relaxed under Stiles' hands as they started to move over the planes of his back, another kiss pressed to the center of the tattoo.

"No," Stiles said.

"You really like that word," Derek said, sounding defeated and his shoulders slumped completely, throwing Stiles off balance so that he ended up draped over Derek's back. 

"No, I don't," Stiles replied, trying to keep back a smirk because the situation was anything but funny. "I wish it weren't part of my vocabulary because the only answer I should have given when I found that ring was 'yes, yes, oh my god, yes'!" His voice was raising as he shouted into Derek's back.

"You don't need to humor me," Derek muttered, words sounding wet and Stiles had enough. Pushing himself to sit up, he drew on every ounce of strength he had to pull Derek up to look at him. It was a bit of a struggle, but Stiles knew that Derek had to go along with it even a little bit or he never would have succeeded. 

Raising his hands, he cupped Derek's face and forced him to look at him. Derek's eyes drifted shut and Stiles shook him a little. "Look at me," he demanded, waiting until he blinked his eyes open, focusing at a spot somewhere over Stiles' head, but at least he was looking. "I am not humoring you. If you remember, I mentioned marriage first because all I wanted to do was be able to come home at the end of a long day and see you. I may have been half-joking, but I was serious about wanting you to come live with me at college." 

He thought about his backpack and the papers he'd printed out between classes earlier in the day, before he even knew he'd be seeing Derek. "I have a whole stack of papers in my backpack with information about apartments, including the married housing that I was going to show you the next time I saw you, but well, they're in the car."

Derek pulled away from Stiles and even though it caused an ache in his chest, he let go and watched him walk away, returning a few minutes later with Stiles' backpack, teeth marks in the straps. "I figured if you wanted to stay and I left, you would need it."

"I want to stay," Stiles told him and Derek nodded starting to pull away again, but Stiles grabbed him by the wrist. "I want  _ you _ to stay, too." He counted the small twitch at the corner of Derek's lips as a step in the right direction.

"I'm just going to put some pants on," Derek said, heading toward the stairs again as Stiles stood and carried his backpack out to the nest, keeping is inappropriate comments to himself until a less serious moment. As he sat cross-legged in the middle of the nest, he felt something digging into the side of his knee. Feeling underneath, he pulled out the ring, studying the design and eyes catching on the words engraved inside.  _ My Heart. My Soul. My Mate. _ Words that Derek had whispered to him when he'd thought he was sleeping more than once.

He stared at the ring, finger tracing over the engraving until he heard Derek step out onto the deck. Slipping the ring into the outside pocket of his backpack, he reached into the main part to pull out the stack of printouts. Looking up, he saw Derek shifting from foot to foot at the edge of the nest. "Put a couple more logs on the fire and come sit down," he said, patting the area right beside him.

Derek did as asked and sat stiffly next to Stiles, who shoved him around until he could sit between his legs, back pressed to Derek's front and pages held in his hands. "Relax," Stiles pleaded. "Look at these. There is a set of condos not far from the campus that have two bedrooms, but the rent is nearly twice what I pay for the dorm and my scholarship won't cover any of it. That's not including utilities and everything else." He looked over his shoulder to see if Derek was paying attention and the man nodded, so Stiles flipped to the next sheet.

"There are student apartments that are one bedroom and really cheap, but I went to a party there earlier this year and I don't think it would be a good fit for you. Too many nasty smells and loud noises." He ripped up that sheet and threw the pieces towards the fire. "Don't know why I even printed that one."

He flipped through the pages, having already rejected most of them but then saw another one he'd considered. "There's an apartment complex about five miles from campus that is mostly business professionals, so it'll be quiet. They're two bedrooms with huge kitchens, so we can save money eating in."

Derek's hand tapped the page. "That looks nice," he grumbled like he was afraid to speak. 

"It really does, but it is a bit out of my price range. Would be doable if I picked up three more days at the library or a second job at a coffee shop or something," Stiles explained. He'd done the math, it was possible but he wasn't sure how it would affect his grades and he couldn't afford to lose his scholarship.

"You know that I could buy the entire building, right?" Derek said, his voice slightly more confident and Stiles smiled.

"I know you could, but I want to contribute," Stiles explained. "I want this relationship to be as equal as it can be." He leaned his head against Derek's shoulder, turning to look up at his face, the night sky shimmering behind him. For the first time, he wondered what time it was; he wasn't even sure if it was after midnight. 

Derek nodded and looked it over. "We could negotiate. I like this place, but I don't want you to work yourself to death and have your schoolwork suffer."

Stiles grinned, feeling they were back to a comfortable place between them so he stretched his neck to press a kiss to Derek's lips, smiling as Derek cradled the back of his head and deepened the kiss. "I love you," Stiles whispered when the kiss broke. "I really do."

Derek's eyes closed and he pressed their foreheads together. "I love you, too." His voice was quiet, nearly lost under the crackling of the fire and the hesitancy in the tone broke Stiles a little more.

"One more," he whispered, not even looking at the papers as he dropped them to the blankets and lifted a hand to Derek's face, brushing his thumb over his cheekbone. "There is housing located at the edge of campus close to the majority of my classes. One or two bedrooms. They're fairly small but enough. The rent is comparable to what I'm paying currently and I can stay on my meal plan or opt out and cook for myself."

"That sounds like it would be the perfect arrangement for you," Derek said, pulling back and staring into Stiles' eyes. "Why aren't you living there already?"

"Because it's married housing," Stiles explained, reaching his free hand into his pocket and pulling out the ring, holding it up so Derek could see it. "And the guy that asked me to marry him won't let me answer properly."

Derek swallowed and reached out for the ring, tugging it gently out of Stiles' fingers. He pulled it into his fist and Stiles frowned as Derek pushed him away. Derek pressed a kiss to his forehead, relaxing him somewhat as he sat back on his heels and Derek knelt in front of him. "Mieczyslaw Stilinski, when we met I couldn't stand you but I was already in love with you. I never believed the stories my parents told of soulmates and true love, but that day in the preserve they suddenly didn't seem so far fetched. It took a long time for my brain to catch up with my heart, but..." He trailed off, reaching up and brushing a tear from Stiles' eye as Stiles did the same in return. "I believe that you are my heart, my soul, my mate. Will you marry me?"

"Yes," Stiles said, tone firm leaving no room for misinterpretation. 

"You're not just agreeing so that you can save money on housing, are you?" Derek teased, sliding the ring onto Stiles' outstretched hand. 

"Yeah, that's exactly why I'm agreeing to marry you," Stiles said with a roll of his eyes. "It has nothing to do with the fact that we have saved each other's lives on numerous occasions or been there for each other when no one else was. It also certainly has nothing to do with the fact that seeing you makes my days better and that waking up next to you every day for the rest of my life would be the single greatest gift you could give me."

"Dork," Derek muttered, pressing a kiss to Stiles' forehead that was more teeth than lips as he grinned.

"Your dork," Stiles affirmed, moving to sit up taller to meet Derek's lips in a kiss, biting into the lip to hold him still when he tried to pull away.

"My dork. My heart. My soul. My mate," he said, both of them falling into a heap of laughter in the nest as they snuggled together under the blankets.

"What time is it?" Stiles asked after they'd stopped kissing long enough to catch their breath.

Derek jerked his chin towards the trees where the sky was lightening and fading into a warm orange color. "Looks like a storm's coming. We might have to spend the day inside."

"Oh whatever will we do inside all day. I mean, with that big old bed taking up so much room," Stiles teased, slapping as Derek tickled his sides. "You know what today is don't you?" Derek nodded, smiling. "Did you plan it that way?" 

"I didn't actually plan much of it," he admitted. "I've had the ring for nearly a year now. I was just waiting for the right time, but it never happened and then when I thought it did everything fell apart."

Stiles laughed. "Of course it did. Our relationship has never been anything except for a bunch of wrong times that have added up into just the right one." He kissed him again as a raindrop hit his forehead. Laughing, they grabbed as much of the blankets as they could and raced into the cabin before it turned into a downpour.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm josjournal over on tumblr. Come say 'Hi!'


End file.
